More than 38,000 inhabitants requiring access to oxygen therapy will be able to receive timely care and treatment, thanks to the implementation of photovoltaic electricity generation systems that will supply electricity to the COVID-19 area and the entire Ciudad de Dios health facility in the district of Yura, Arequipa.
At the national level, the challenges for the production and distribution of medical oxygen are both financial and logistical, due to the fact that several health facilities have irregular access to electricity; in addition to light generators in poor or unstable conditions, a situation that impairs the timely treatment of patients who require access to oxygen therapy.
Oxygen and hope
In order to strengthen the first level of health care to close existing gaps in access to oxygen therapy, the Rapid Response COVID-19 project in Peru of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in partnership with Socios En Salud (SES), joins the efforts of the Regional Health Management Arequipa, with the implementation of a photovoltaic power generation system.
This investment of approximately US$/ 20 000 will allow supplying energy through the use of solar panels with a capacity of 15kw, in charge of transforming sunlight energy into electrical energy, which will favor the adequate energy quality required by the oxygen concentrators used to provide oxygen therapy treatment to patients with COVID-19 and other respiratory diseases at the Ciudad de Dios Health Facility, located in the district of Yura in the province of Arequipa.
“This photovoltaic system meets the safety and guarantee requirements for its proper operation and to increase the energy quality required by the oxygen concentrators used for the treatment of patients with COVID-19 and other respiratory diseases. In addition, this renewable energy will reduce the high costs of electricity, representing a sustainable and economic development in the region,” expressed Leonid Lecca, CEO of Socios En Salud.
The event was attended by Eliana Fuentes on behalf of Néstor Chicaña, mayor of the district of Yura; Edilberto Salazar, director of the Arequipa Regional Health Management; Ruperto Dueñas, executive director of People’s Health of the Arequipa Regional Health Management; Rosa María María Jaimes Zegarra, Ciudad de Dios Micro Health Network manager; Dra. Rosa Jaymes, head of the Ciudad de Dios Health Facility; Dr. Leonid Lecca, general director of Socios En Salud; Dr. Marco Tovar, medical director of Socios En Salud, among other local authorities.
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